DETAILS: Original civil rights poster issued for William H. Lewis speech given at Cory Church, Cleveland. Circa 1910. Titled "Race And Democracy in America" and organized by the Phillis Wheatley Association, Chairman Harry E. Davis (first African American to serve in the Ohio Senate). Only example of this poster known to exist.


BIOGRAPHY: William Henry Lewis (1868–1949) was an African-American civil rights leader who was a pioneer in athletics, law and politics. Born to freedmen, he graduated from Amherst College in Massachusetts, where he had been one of the first African-American college football players. After attending Harvard Law School and continuing to play football, Lewis became the first African American in the sport to be selected as an All-American.

In 1903 he was the first African American to be appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney; in 1910 he was the first to be appointed as one of the five United States Assistant Attorneys General, despite opposition by the Southern Democratic block. In 1911 he was among the first African Americans to be admitted to the American Bar Association.

When Lewis was appointed as an Assistant Attorney General in 1910 by President William Howard Taft, it was reported to be "the highest office in an executive branch of the government ever held by a an African America". He was one of four African Americans appointed to high office by Taft and known as his "Black Cabinet". Before being appointed as an AAG, Lewis had served for 12 years as a football coach at Harvard University. During that period, he wrote one of the first books on football tactics and was known as a national expert on the game. He is considered to be among the most important Black Civil Rights leaders of the Pre-War era,

Oxxbridge Galleries was founded in 1987 and specializes in vintage paper items with a particular focus on counter culture materials. We are among the largest sellers of original Black Civil Rights and African Americana items in the US. We invite everyone to visit our ebay store to see our entire inventory.